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Written Statement – High-Level Political Forum 2019
From Commitment to Action: We need a radical shift in the investment landscape – more women in leadership positions and more capital made available for young women.
We only have ten years to deliver on the 2030 Agenda. Private sector services, products and developments are crucial in order to succeed. However, in order for innovative organisations committed to diversity, equality and sustainability to be able to grow, they need investors who value sustainability and realise the long-term profitability of such values. A radical shift in the investment landscape is needed, targeting both regulations and norms. In order to find and fund the great solutions-providers of tomorrow, we urgently need more women in leadership and investment positions in venture capital and private equity firms.
The flow of investment capital needs to shift away from short-term profits and risk-mitigation to long-term profitability and innovations that incorporate sustainability. Including women in leadership and investment positions are key to making this transition possible. Without greater diversity in the investment community, investors will fail to identify and see the potential in novel innovations and solutions. The investment community is extremely homogenous and male-dominated, and it has been spared the same level of gender scrutiny as other sectors such as business and politics.
In 2018, 98 percent of all venture capital dollar were raised by male-founded businesses. Following the flow of capital, that is when we begin to understand that investors sometimes are the very reason why diversity and gender equality are marginalised issues in some companies. By acknowledging the power of investments that today reinforce gender inequalities, we can turn it around and use it to put pressure and promote diversity and equality in companies, thus society at large.
Making diverse gender conscious investments is a pathway to sustainable development, and it is proven to increase performance, creativity and profitability. Diversity, inclusion and equality are core values for organisations looking to develop creative, innovative and profitable products and solutions to some of the great challenges the world faces today.
Signed by:
Kristina Persson, Founder, Global Utmaning
Catharina Nystedt Ringborg, Entrepreneur and Vice Chair, Global Utmaning
Tove Ahlström, CEO, Global Utmaning
Rosanna Färnman, Programme Director, Health & Welfare, Global Utmaning
Elin Fabre, Programme Director, Sustainable Cities, Global Utmaning
Inga Björk-Klevby, former Deputy Executive Director, UN-Habitat and senior adviser, Global Utmaning
Sophie Nachemson-Ekwall, Researcher, Stockholm School of Economics
Read the statement here
